Following the qualifier round last month, two teams have been selected to advance to the StartUp Showcase, Fairfield’s annual entrepreneurship competition. Three additional teams are still to be announced.
Coming off the heels of a high-stakes qualifier round last month, nine student teams made their business pitches in front of a panel of judges for a spot in the StartUp Showcase, Fairfield’s annual Shark Tank-style entrepreneurship competition. Judges were impressed with all the talent and hard work, and after careful deliberation, two teams rose to the top. With modest revisions to their business plans, both will advance to the Showcase on April 25 where they will pitch in front of a live panel of investors for seed money.
The AutoDolly, founded by Mike Lynders ’19, is a robotic camera tripod that performs cinematic camera movements quickly and repeatedly. The AutoDolly’s technology frees filmmakers from the time consuming constraints of traditional equipment, allowing for more focus on designing the perfect shot and less effort trying to set it up.
2018 Showcase participant Anthony Mastrocola ’19 will return with a new business idea, Fresh Ponics, an agricultural hydroponic company focusing on local food needs. Under his business model, Fresh Ponics will provide local fresh produce year-round, regardless of season or climate. His business model also addresses hunger and food insecurity through donations to local food kitchens and pantries.
Teams Athlete Academy, Belle, Scrolls Textbooks, Touch of Practical, CloGo, Pill Dispenser, and Sheisart also pitched at the qualifiers last month. A total of five teams will advance to the Showcase. The three teams who will join AutoDolly and Fresh Ponics are to be announced next month.
Save the date — April 25 — to see The AutoDolly and Fresh Ponics pitch at the 2019 Fairfield StartUp Showcase at the Quick Center. To learn more about the Showcase visit Fairfield.edu/startup.
Can’t make it to the Showcase? You can watch the action live on Facebook.
